Inou Jakusui

A herbalist of the mid-Edo period. His name was Nobuyoshi. He was born in Edo and moved to Osaka. He studied Confucianism under Ito Jinsai and took over the medical practice of his father Koken (1610-1680). He studied herbal medicine under Fukuyama Tokujun (date of birth and death unknown, also written as Tokujun), and demonstrated his erudition by saying, "I am the only person, past or present, who has carefully examined over 1,200 types of medicinal herbs, both domestic and those found in Chinese books." In 1693 (Genroku 6), he was employed as a Confucian scholar by Maeda Tsunanori, the lord of Kaga Domain, with a stipend of 200 koku. He then devoted himself to the compilation of the Shobutsu Ruisan (Complete Natural History Collection) for the next 20 years, completing the first 362 volumes before dying of illness in Kyoto in the 5th year of Shotoku. Tsunanori praised Wakamizu's achievement and presented the book to the 8th Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshimune, who encouraged learning. Other works he produced include the 53 volumes of the Shoshou Honma Gangmoku, said to be the most reliable of all Japanese printed books, as well as the Hosha Zensho and Bussan Mokuroku, which discuss the selection of medicinal herbs. His disciples were Niwa Shōhaku, Noro Genjō, and Matsuoka Joan, and Shōhaku expanded the "Shobutsu Ruisan" to 1,000 volumes.

[Nemoto Soyoko]

"Shobutsu Ruisan" Complete 11 Volumes (Kagaku Shoin, 1987-1991)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸中期の本草(ほんぞう)学者。名は宣義(のぶよし)。江戸に生まれ大坂に移る。儒学を伊藤仁斎(いとうじんさい)に学び、父恒軒(こうけん)（1610―1680）の医業を継いだ。本草を福山徳順(ふくやまとくじゅん)（生没年不詳。徳潤とも記される）に師事、「薬物は国産のもの、中国書にあるもの千二百余種を精査した者は古今を通じて余一人」と学殖を示した。1693年（元禄6）儒者として加賀藩主前田綱紀(まえだつなのり)に禄(ろく)200俵で抱えられ、以後『庶物類纂(しょぶつるいさん)』（博物大全）の編纂に20年間精力を傾注、362巻までを脱稿して正徳(しょうとく)5年京都に病没した。綱紀は若水の偉業をたたえ、学問を奨励する8代将軍徳川吉宗(とくがわよしむね)に本書を献じた。ほかに、和刻本中もっとも信が置けるという『校正本草綱目』53巻、薬物の選品を論じた『炮炙全書(ほうしゃぜんしょ)』『物産目録』など。丹羽正伯(にわしょうはく)、野呂元丈(のろげんじょう)、松岡恕庵(まつおかじょあん)は門人で、正伯は『庶物類纂』を1000巻に増補した。

［根本曽代子］

『『庶物類纂』全11巻（科学書院・1987～1991）』

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